As I hope most of you know by now, I've decided not to run for reelection this year. While I'll be serving out the rest of my term through the end of this year, I can close out the books on the "Joy Maloney for School Board" campaign committee at the end of this month.

I have a small amount of debt which I'm willing to forgive, but I thought I'd ask if any of you would be willing to make a last donation to my campaign.

If by chance I get an excess of contributions, I will offer it back to my contributors with the option to transfer it to another candidate that I have endorsed (Beth Huck, Sylvia Glass, Jennifer Boysko, David Reid, or Buta Biberaj).

Everyone who came to speak at the Waxpool attendance boundary public hearing last night who favored a plan mentioned my Plan 105 as one of their favorites. The vote is next Tuesday, December 11, so take a look at the plans under consideration and let the Board know your thoughts before then. https://www.lcps.org/Page/206863

New Naming Committee - Urgent Request

The Douglass School, our alternative education center that includes programs for middle and high school students struggling in the traditional school setting, is moving to a new building at the old C.S. Monroe Center, whose program, the Monroe Advanced Technical Academy, has now moved to the new Academies of Loudoun.

The name Douglass School has historical significance to the building it currently names, so we don’t want to move it to the new building. Therefore, the new building needs a name. The School Board will be voting on the Naming Committee tomorrow night and I don’t have anyone representing our district yet. If you are interested in serving, please send me your contact information (full name, phone number, email address) and why you’d like to serve. You should expect the committee to meet twice. Sorry for the late notice. I need names today!

Elementary Attendance Zone Change Process Starting Soon

Waxpool Elementary school is scheduled to open to students next fall. The School Board will begin the process to establish its attendance zone on October 18. Attendance zones for the following existing schools may be changed as part of this process: schools in our district – Hillside, Mill Run, and Moorefield Station – as well as Creighton's Corner, Legacy, Madison's Trust, and Rosa Lee Carter. See www.lcps.org/Page/206863 for more information. Subscribe to the page and you’ll be notified of the latest updates as well. ​Please let me know if you would like to schedule a meeting with me to share your opinions or concerns on this process. I’d be happy to attend PTA/PTO meetings or neighborhood meetings as my schedule allows. Of course, you can also contact me via email or phone as well.

Vote Yes for School Bonds on November 6

1. Register to vote if you haven’t yet. You have until October 15. 2. Vote absentee if you won’t be able to vote at your regular polling place on November 6. You have until October 30 to request to vote by mail or until November 3 to vote in person. 3. Vote Yes on the School Projects question. This will provide low-interest funding of the next planned elementary schools and other capital improvement projects as needed. The cost becomes higher if this isn’t approved so please don’t forget to turn over your ballot when you vote.

Parents Sought for Ad Hoc Committee on Special Education

The School Board voted 8-1 on April 24 to create an Ad Hoc Committee on Special Education. I was one of the three School Board members selected to serve on the committee. I look forward to working with the committee to improve services for all students. I also will be nominating a "parent from the Special Needs Community, selected for their experience and/or education" to the committee. If you would like to be nominated, please email me at joy.maloney@lcps.org, with your qualifications. I already have several parents in mind but want to put it out there to keep my possibilities open.

ES-31 Naming Committee Results

Thank you to all the Broad Run District citizens who served on the ES-31 Naming Committee, including the names I submitted: Laurie Ferguson, Kelly Huff-Snyder, and Saema Khan; and those submitted by others: Laura Hoyler, Kim Crisp, and likely more! The School Board received the committee's recommendations at our May 8 meeting. We will be voting on this officially in June, after the names are further researched by History Matters.

While Hope Elementary was considered in the initial meeting, it didn't make the final cut. I'll hold out "hope" that this name will make it in the future. I would still like to honor the families of such children as Gavin Rupp, Declan Carmichal, Mathias Giordano and Gabriella Miller, who sacrificed so much while inspiring our community.

Recommendation: Waxpool Elementary SchoolThe original Village of Waxpool, dating back to the 1880s, was sited proximate to the present-day Waxpool Road, Belmont Ridge Road and Beaver Dam Reservoir. Waxpool contained a general store and post office (S.E. Munday’s General Store), church, school and several dairy farms. The name helps preserve the historical legacy of the area, named for the waxy hard-to-drain clay soils in the area.

First Alternate: Lola Jackson Elementary SchoolLola Herrod Jackson (July 31, 1902-June 13, 2001) was a teacher in Ashburn, at the Farmwell Colored School (later known as the Ashburn Colored School), from 1932 to 1957. Jackson taught grades 1 through 7.

Second Alternate: William H. Ash Elementary SchoolWilliam Horace Ash (May 15, 1859-February 14, 1908) was a former slave who became the first African-American from Loudoun elected to the House of Delegates - though he represented a different county. Ash worked as a teacher for many years and helped found the Teachers Reading Circle, an organization for African American educators. After retiring from politics, Ash returned to teaching and in 1907, began teaching at the Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute.

Universal FDK

LCPS is expected to be able to offer universal full-day kindergarten this fall. Staff had originally planned to expand it to all schools except a few, which included Broad Run District schools Hillside and Mill Run. However, they came up with a plan that would use overflow at nearby schools and slightly larger class size caps to offer it universally. Next year, when ES-31 opens, I am expecting that the Broad Run District schools will be able to house all its kindergarteners at their home school with lower class sizes, but it remains to be seen.

Gun Violence Prevention Resolution

The School Board voted 5-4 in favor of the Gun Violence Prevention Resolution that I brought forward. It was based on a similar resolution that passed in Fairfax County, but I added more about what LCPS is doing to keep our kids safe, used some different statistics and added citations. Sadly, its statistics are already outdated as of last Friday. Please remember to be SMART for our kids' sake: secure guns in homes and vehicles, model responsible behavior, ask about unsecured guns in other homes, recognize the risks of teen suicide, and tell your peers to be SMART. If you are interested in hosting a Be SMART presentation, contact me and I can put you in touch with our local coordinator.

End of year events

I try to attend Broad Run's graduation every year, but this year I'll be celebrating my own daughter's graduation from Briar Woods. Sorry to miss it, but she is still my number one priority. That said, I love attending all the end-of-year celebrations I can, so please keep the invitations coming. I hope everyone has a wonderful time as this school year winds down and a restful summer.

It's time to name the new elementary school on the Tillett property (ES-31) at Belmont Ridge and Waxpool. Please send your contact information to me at joy.maloney@lcps.org by March 27 if you would like to be on the Naming Committee. The committee will be meeting on Monday, April 16 and Monday, April 30 at 6:30pm at the School Admin building (21000 Education Ct, next to Clyde’s Willowcreek) so please assure me of your availability as well. Thank you in advance for your service to our community!

The results of my unofficial, unscientific calendar survey are in, and Option C was the big winner. Interestingly enough, that's what the majority of the Board seemed to be supporting at the last meeting. Under Option C, school starts for students on Thursday, August 23, ends for students on Friday, June 7, Winter Break includes Friday 12/21, and there are two county-wide professional development days for staff during the school year.The vote on the calendar is scheduled for tomorrow night, Tuesday, 11/28. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Now that the county Board of Supervisors has reduced our operating budget request by $16.9 million, we're left to find cuts to total that amount. The Superintendent provided us a detailed list of possibilities. He and his staff, with input from all our principals, created 3 tiers of reductions: Recommended, Possible, and Not Recommended. As a School Board, we'll meet next Thursday, April 14, and start by including all the Recommended and Possible reductions as our base. With that, we'll have cut more than is necessary, and we can then proceed to put back in $11.6 million.

While it wish I didn't have to make these cuts, I think staff has made this as easy for us as they could. I understand the thought that went into the recommendation to increase average class sizes, but I just can't support it. That adds back in over $10 million right there. I'll also be fighting to have a dean for every grade at all our middle schools.

Some things I don't expect to be fighting to keep in the budget that I want to explain:

The Performing Arts Magnet - This was a plan for a musical theater magnet program at Heritage High School for 30 juniors and seniors. I still believe with all my heart we need this program. I just also believe that this is not the year. The plans that had come out just weren't good enough, in my opinion. And don't just ask me, the parent who originally advocated for this is also asking us to cut it. It's just not ready. But I will keep working until it is. We can do better and we will.

Launching the Academy of Engineering & Technology two years early: This is a flagship advanced program focusing on mathematics as its foundation. Staff has been working overtime and weekends in order to get this ready for the fall after the prior board pushed them to open it two years early. They budgeted hiring a director of the academy but it's in the recommended reductions. We don't have the curriculum fully developed yet. I feel confident staff will be working round the clock to have it ready, but I also feel a bit like the musical theater magnet: we can take more time and do better. If we spend this year preparing, it would still open a year early! Again, I don't take this lightly. I already heard from one of the parents who worked on the committee that came up with the Academies of Loudoun that she thinks we should wait.

The proposed 75% coverage for full-day kindergarten: I want a plan in place now to get us to universal full-day kindergarten. Dr. Williams and his staff have been working on that plan for months now behind the scenes. It will be a strategic action we approve soon. I feel certain that we can reduce the expansion this year and still get it done. Having 75% coverage was more than I expected Dr. Williams to be able to do this upcoming year when he first proposed it. We can cover 53% instead and go for 75% next year with existing space. In our Ashburn Village and Broadlands schools, I don't believe the reduction will even change much if any of the number of FDK classes we can offer. We just don't have the space after the Madison's Trust elementary rezoning the prior board approved last December. We will have a realistic, working plan. It's coming.

The full teacher salary restructure: I can support the reduction that Dr. Williams proposed. We will still be providing step increases, one-time increases for those not eligible for step increases, and addressing our competitiveness and retention with targeted adjustments to the teacher salary scale. I hope to adopt the proposed strategic action to set our goal as 3rd in the Washington area for teacher salaries later this year.

Take a look at the adjustment list yourself. This is Dr. Williams first reconciliation and I think it just shows how to do this right. But, don't hesitate to let me know what you think as well.

The ONLY public hearing on the budget cuts is Wednesday, April 13 at 6:30pm at the Admin Building, 21000 Education Ct, Broadlands, VA 20148. You can email me at joy.maloney@lcps.org and the entire board at lcsb@lcps.org.

The School Board passed its proposed budget last week. I was very happy with the process. The budget is very similar to what Superintendent Williams proposed with some slight changes. Here are some of the highlights to me: • Step increases for all eligible employees as well as a teacher salary scale adjustment to improve competitiveness • Maintains or reduces class sizes in the face of 3.8% enrollment growth • Provides access to full-day kindergarten for an estimated 75% of our kindergarteners • Opens the new Academies of Engineering and Technology program two years early for 150 ninth-graders • Restores deans to every grade of all our middle schools (my first successful motion!) • Adds a new performing arts magnet for 35 eleventh graders at Heritage High • Supports One to the World initiatives such as blended learning and Loudoun Creates with new technology purchases • Adds critical special education staff to support our increased needs

Some expenses are not highlights, but must be done. Health insurance premiums increase 8% for both LCPS and employees, but we are offering a new high-deductible health plan option at a much cheaper price. Retirement benefits costs to LCPS went up.

I thank my fellow Board members and all the LCPS staff for their hard work over the past month in putting this together. I also thank everyone who provided their feedback during the budget process so far.

Now it goes to the Board of Supervisors for review. The County Administrator presents his proposed budget Wednesday night, which will include an initial proposed amount for LCPS. Estimates back in January projected a $35-40 million shortfall. I'm hopeful it looks better. I urge everyone to stay involved in this process. We have high expectations for our school system here in Loudoun County. Be sure to remind your Supervisors of that as they work on the county budget.

An example of constructive feedback on the draft strategic action for full day kindergarten from our elementary school principals.

The Superintendent's proposed budget for the next school year is out. If you attended any of the feedback sessions on the Vision 20/20 draft strategic actions, you're familiar with the technique they used to solicit constructive feedback. There are three columns: I like… I wonder… I suggest...

So here's your homework assignment – go to the LCPS website and take a look at some of the budget documents. If you only have time for one, read the summary presentation. Then, give us your feedback about something in it. What do you like about it? What do you wonder? What do you suggest?

I know that our community values our children's education as a top priority, but you have to say it out loud. You know the kind of craziness that goes on at the public hearings on boundaries. You've heard about the hundreds of emails the School Board regularly receives when they're about to choose the calendar for the following school year. Well, this is even bigger. We're about to decide whether 1/3 or 3/4 of our kindergartners will have art, music and PE as part of a full day of school next year. We're about to decide if your middle schooler has a dean who knows her best and is her first choice of school administrators when she needs help. We're about to decide if your future engineer may be one of the 150 freshmen with the opportunity to attend the new Academy of Engineering and Technology program next year or your theater-loving rising junior can spend more time on what inspires him at the new Musical Theater Academy. We're about to decide how much excellent teachers will be valued and if we respect them enough to provide them with a laptop – a basic tool they need to do their job. Give it a look. What do you like? What do you wonder? What do you suggest?

You can email me at joy.maloney@lcps.org and/or the entire board at lcsb@lcps.org. You can speak at a public hearing on Wednesday, January 20 and Thursday, January 28 at 6:30pm at the School Admin building. The School Board has 4 more work sessions scheduled to learn more about exactly what's in the proposal and then budget adoption is expected on February 2.